Thursday, May 17, 2012

Barrio's Tacos

Tuesday was just begging for some patio time and cocktails that evening. The weather was a perfect balance of sunny skies and no humidity. That rarely happens in Cleveland, so we were certainly taking advantage of it! This led to an impromptu gathering of friends and significant others at the recently opened Barrio in Tremont.

Barrio took over the old 806 Wine Bar on Literary just over two weeks ago. So they are brand spanking new. And it kind of showed. But there's potential there.

First order of business, margaritas.

We went with a pitcher of the traditional flavored Casa Made Margaritas for $24. We got about four and a half drinks out of it. I thought the mason jars were a cute twist.

Now that we were settled in on the brick patio, it was time to order. Like Happy Dog, you are given a checklist of taco choices. You start with either hard or soft, flour or corn, and then build your custom taco. The options are lengthy, so we felt that over time they should create and provide a list of "suggested" combinations.

Before tacos, however, came guacamole. "R" and I shared the Tuscan Guacamole with pine nuts, mozzarella, tomatoes, and balsamic vinegar. The ingredients added some texture and minimal flavor that apparently the Traditional was lacking, but our version still needed the addition of citrus and salt. It was certainly fresh and creamy, but a little bland in the bites without the balsamic.

The chips were sometimes chewy, perhaps a little stale?

Our tacos arrived a bit later. I had gone with two soft flour tortillas, and built my tacos around the fish and chorizo.

While the flavors of both were good, the tacos have really cooled down by the time they arrive. I know that they can be difficult to keep hot when adding so many cold toppings, but I still think that the kitchen just hasn't quite figured out that balance. There's improvement in their process needed. I give these tacos a solid 4 out of 10, but if they had been served warmer they would have been bumped up to a 6 out of 10 (in my opinion).

Overall, the ingredients were clearly fresh and they have a great concept. The tacos were reasonably priced at $3 each. I love the addition of a Tequilaria in Tremont. It's something that isn't being done in the area. They are serving late night tacos as well, from what I hear. They are just going through some significant growing pains with both food and service (long wait times, food/drinks missing, wrong kind of tortillas used on a couple of taco orders), but there's hope for this new spot.

I noticed Barrio while we were visiting Tremont last weekend for the Art Walk. I meant to learn more so am happy you posted about your visit. I remember really liking 806's patio, so I hope they work out the kinks too!

Meet Katrina

I can't cook. I am the girl that burns water out of a pot and ruins it, routinely sets the fire alarm off, and has to use a knife very slowly. Join me as I follow my heart from New York to Ohio, and explore the best (and maybe sometimes the worst) that Cleveland and its independent restaurants have to offer. Let's take a "bite" out of our city together.

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